Editorial: Cinematic Splendour at the Trafalgar St James, London

High drama, high romance. Back in December, with restrictions rapidly ramping up, I organised a small editorial shoot at luxury London hotel, the Trafalgar St James. One of my favourite London hotels and the most gorgeous location for a city wedding. It was one of those serendipitous occasions when everything somehow just came together. The perfect team, in the most beautiful location. The concept, a collaboration by Ink & Paper & Wolf & Co. Photography was inspired the movement and mood of Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love; we wanted to encapsulate both warmth and a cinematic stillness, whilst bringing in Old Hollywood elegance.

Modern arch wedding invitations

The bespoke letterpress invitation suite is understated and contemporary; taking inspiration from architecture, it used elegant shapes and soft, muted tones, paired with clean and simple design to bring a fresh and modern take on this gorgeous traditional printing technique. The suites were finished with translucent vellum and a striking wax seal.

An intimate micro wedding

With micro weddings set to be on the scene for a little while longer, it is important to show that you can also create sumptuous tablescapes on a smaller scale. Our intimate long table for six is bold yet decadent, and zones in on those luxurious little details such as tactile letterpressed individual guest menus and playful, tasselled place cards. A naked table keeps the look fresh and modern, and allows details like the gorgeous black and gold cutlery plus stylish tableware from the Trafalgar’s own stores have their moment. A pop of colour from the elegantly draped teal napkins complemented the lavish florals, adds vibrancy and brings the look together.

We created concepts we felt were opulent and filmic yet modern: couture wedding dresses from Edmondson Bridal Couture that were as much red carpet as they were high-fashion modern wedding, perfectly complemented by a combination of textured and richly toned, fresh and preserved, flowers. Boom Blooms paired vibrant and tonal amaryllis, anemone, amaranthus and carnations with preserved palm spears, artichoke, bunny tails and pampas to create a luxurious, contemporary aesthetic. And Simon’s Bakery showcased a cake that was structural, modern and a work of edible art.

Daytime look

Perfect for the ceremony, this elegant two-piece bridal top & skirt outfit made in a floral embroidered tulle which has an elegant subtle sparkle when it catches the light. The top is a simple sweetheart neckline with puff fitted sleeves. The skirt is a full-length A-line cut which adds drama. We styled the hair with Kate’s floral hairpins. Shoes worn are by Emmy London’s "Charlotte" elegant court shoes with gold metallic cross over strap detail.

Hair was left long and loose to keep the look soft, while makeup was kept glossy, clean and fresh.

Evening look

A simple and playful evening look designed to get the party started, the soft, tailored mini dress from Kate’s new bespoke range of reception & civil ceremony dresses is made in a Mikado silk. For this look we styled the dress without the overskirt, or another option is a belt with a large bow detail.  We paired this dress with Kate’s floral Alice hair band, along with statement "Colette" ivory mules with a satin ankle tie detail by Emmy London, and also Charlotte Mills’ playful pearl and pink velvet “Henrietta” block heels. 

A chic up-do from Love Hair by Lou adds sophistication and class, while Szilvia brought the drama with a modern smoky eye and striking brushed brows.

Full Team:

Concept & photography - Wolf & Co. Photography | Videography - Confetti & Silk Films | Planning & styling - Perfectly Planned 4 You | Concept, styling & stationery - Ink & Paper | Dresses & accessories - Kate Edmondson Bridal | Shoes - Emmy London | Venue & Tableware - Trafalgar St James | Florals - Boom Blooms | Cake - Simon’s Bakery | Hair - Love Hair by Lou | Make up - Szilvia Balog

Previous
Previous

How to (politely) say “no children at our wedding”

Next
Next

How I create venue illustrations for your luxury wedding invitations